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Free school meals

Who can get free school meals?

Your child will be entitled to free school meals if they to go school in Waltham Forest, and you or your partner get one of the following:

Income Support

Universal Credit*

Income-based Job Seeker's Allowance

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

The Guarantee Credit element of State Pension Credit

Support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS)

Support from the Local Authority Social Services Asylum Team (SSAT)

Child Tax Credit, provided that you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit (but see below), and your annual income (as assessed by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) is £16,190 or less

Working Tax Credit for four weeks after your employment finishes

*Universal credit

Free school meals now have amended regulations to implement a net earnings threshold of £7,400 to come into force from 1 April 2018

Any pupil eligible for free schools meals before 1 April 2018 will keep their free school meal eligibility until 31 March 2022

Any pupil who becomes eligible during the rollout of universal credit (from 01 April 2018 to 31 March 2022) will keep their eligibility until 31 March 2022

Once the rollout of universal credit has completed (31 March 2022), any pupil losing will continue to be transitionally protected until the end of their current phase of education, e.g. primary/secondary school

This applies whether parents receive universal or legacy benefits

Pupils will keep their eligibility even if their circumstances change between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2022.

A child will be transitionally protected not the family, so if a sibling is receiving free school meals and another child applies after 1April 2018, there will be no transitionally protection (this also applies for a child who moves to live with another parent and/or family member)

We’ll only ask you to provide evidence of your income if we’re unable to get confirmation ourselves.

If your child goes to school outside of Waltham Forest, you should make a claim to that Borough.

After we receive your application, we’ll check if your child is entitled to free school meals and write to you to let you know our decision. If you’re entitled to free school meals, we’ll also tell your child's school. After we receive your application, we’ll check if your child is entitled to free school meals and write to you to let you know our decision. If you’re entitled to free school meals, we’ll also tell your child's school.